Goldilocks And The Three Beasts
by AngelWithACrookedHalo
Summary: An investigation into a kidnapped inventor changes drastically as Yang Xiao Long ends up stuck with not one, but three cursed beasts and a monkey in a worn-down mansion. Sequel story to Snow White And Little Red
1. Arrival

Chapter One: Arrival

**A/N:The plan was to get this out for Bumbleby Week 2019. Having only learned three days ago the week had already started, I did hurry to finalize this. Hope it's still enjoyable. Special thanks to Morbid1Curiosity for giving this a once over and tips on improvement.**

* * *

The first thing she heard was the loud brass bell aboard the ship ringing out methodically, effectively waking her from the light sleep she managed to grab. Next came the voices of the ships crew, barking orders back and forth. Third was heavy thumping from things being moved around outside her room. All signs she had finally arrived. Standing from her cot, she stretched her arms above her head and twisted about to get the stiffness out of her joints. Once settled and satisfied she took her golden yellow cloak off its hanger on the wall and fastened it around her shoulders. Upon walking onto the dock after leaving her cabin, she raised one hand to block out the sun.

Instantly, the smell of fish and sea hit her, causing her to wrinkle her nose and remember why she didn't really go around ports back home. She took a few more steps to the railing to watch the island come more into view. From this distance she could make out various dock workers preparing for the ship she was on to finish pulling into port. Beyond them, a small section of trade shops served as a border between the docks and what looked like homes and neighborhoods. Tropical trees and bushes coated the living area of the town, tapering off to a large mountain range far in the distance. The view was somewhat ruined for her, as the sun was very hot. Hotter than she had expected. Part of her regretted wearing her set of armor.

"Ah, miss Huntsman!"

A voice from behind her caused her to turn and find the ship's captain approaching her with a hand raised in a wave.

"Just Yang is fine," she smiled at him.

The captain was a stout man, his salt and pepper beard and mustache nearly obscuring his entire mouth. Dark gray scales covered what skin Yang could see. He grinned at her, the one eye he had wrinkling with joy. "Well then, miss Yang, I hope your trip was enjoyable. It's not every day we get Huntsmen from Vale traveling with us!" He looked out over the railing, watching the ship slow to a stop at the mooring station. "What brings you all the way to Menagerie, if I may ask? King Schnee doesn't usually send anyone way out here."

"It's not on his orders. I'm actually doing some freelance recon work. About that old mansion outside of town," Yang replied following his gaze, "heard some rumors that sounded super interesting, and looking into the whereabouts of the inventor Doctor Merlot."

The captain was silent for a long moment, the sounds of his crew working with the dock workers filling the space. "Be safe out there, miss Yang. There's supposedly a beast worse than any kind of wildlife or Grimm out there."

Yang shot him a confident smirk, flexing one arm. "I've taken out some nasty things before. Some beast or whatever has got nothing that can stop me!"

"I'll prioritize getting your mare tacked and ready as soon as we finish docking." He gave her a solemn nod and salute before turning to leave. "Best of luck to you, Huntsman."

When it was safe to disembark, Yang hopped off and down the transport ship's steps as soon as she could. Squeezing past other passengers and workers, she weaved in and out of the crowds. As promised, Bumblebee was one of the first things unloaded from the ship. A deer Faunus stood in wait in front of the horse and gave Yang a friendly wave as she approached.

"She took the trip a lot easier than most animals," he said, handing the reins over, "you got yourself a good horse, miss Huntsman."

Yang beamed at him. "One of the best in Vale! Thanks for taking care of her." Taking her horse by the reins, she gave the Faunus worker a parting wave and headed in the direction of town.

Yang looked around in awe at the small market town as she made her way through. Faunus of all kinds bustled between shop stands. The various voices of merchants calling out their wares mixed with the buzz of the general public's combined conversations. It was a sight somewhat familiar to her from the times she had patrolled Mountain Glenn. Although this settlement being a bit more crowded than she was used to. Slowly she navigated through the market and into the city, Bumblebee following loyally behind her. It wasn't long before she found the city exit gate to the north.

A small guardpost stood directly to the left of the gate. A lone guard walked out to greet Yang. Her chocolate brown and gold armor twinkled in the hot sun and the large set of rabbit ears that matched her armor on her head stood up straight as the knight approached her.

"G'day! May I see your papers and pass please?" she greeted, extending a hand. Yang shuffled one hand in a side pouch, pulling out a few papers. She handed them to the Faunus guard who looked over them all with a few hums. "Alright miss Xiao Long! I'll go process these. I'll open the gates in just a moment."

There was just a couple seconds time before the large wooden portcullis rumbled and slowly opened up, revealing a well worn dirt path lined with more palm trees and brush. The rabbit girl poked her head out of her station. "All set, miss Xiao Long! And do be careful out there. The wildlife can be brutal."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You're not the first person to say something similar to me today,"

"Jus' wanting travelers to be careful. Especially those not used to Menagerian wildlife."

"Can't be any worse than the Grimm back in Vale."

"With all due respect miss Xiao Long, any kind of monster would be like kittens compared to some of the things out there."

There was something about her tone of voice that unsettled Yang. A complete shift to grim and serious from the cheery she had been greeted with. Nevertheless, she hid it as best she could as she mounted her horse. After returning the friendly goodbye, she lifted her hood over her head and set forth through the gate.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky by the time Yang made it to her destination. Luckily, it seemed to be too hot for any dangerous wildlife to come out. Something she was equally grateful and disappointed about. She let out a low whistle as she slowed Bumblebee to a stop before an open set of tarnished bronze gates, staring at the large mansion up ahead. Gnarled foliage and half-living trees sat scattered among the property. However, there were signs of a once-held order that had been clearly lost to the ages. Large patches of the white exterior paint had been worn and chipped off the sides and the roof was missing large chunks of shingles. What appeared to be the top of a white dome barely peaked out from what looked like the center of the building. Behind it, the forest of tropical trees faded into the base of the mountain range that loomed over the horizon. Yang clicked her tongue and her horse started towards the mansion.

As soon as she crossed the gate, Bumblebee began to hesitate, snorting and grunting as her gait fell out of pace. Yang patted her on the neck in an attempt to calm her down. "Easy, girl. We're almost there. Wait out here for me, okay?"

When she got to the large set of steps that lead to the main entrance, Yang hopped off her horse, gave her muzzle a few reassuring strokes, and left to head inside.

The doors creaked and groaned when she opened them, the sounds echoing in the grand entrance way. Yang poked her head in first to scout for any immediate threats. Sensing and seeing nothing, she took a couple steps in, her iron boots clacking on the tiles. The door closed behind her on its own with a bang amplified by the empty room. It took the majority of the sunlight with it. After quickly taking her hood off her head for better peripheral vision, she stood completely still with her arms raised for a fight while waiting for her eyes to adjust.

Once Yang could see better, she lowered her arms slightly at the lack of any immediate threat. The interior of the mansion was in just as bad shape as the exterior. Large shredded and moth-eaten purple curtains covered equally large windows on either side of the entrance as best they could. Most of the chairs and small tables that still sat in the room were all overturned and shoved against the walls. Directly ahead of her was a large grand staircase with branching hallways on either side of what must have been a large family portrait at one point. Long shreds of canvas was all that remained in the golden frame. Yang made a small noise of irritation as she observed the empty room. It was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked. She started off towards a small hallway to the right of the staircase. If Merlot was being kept prisoner, she might as well try and find the dungeon area first. Finding the beast could come later.

This hallway was carpeted, with one gold and purple door at the end and two small wooden doors to the left. Yang quickly found the smaller ones led to dry food and kitchen appliance storage. As soon as she opened the one at the end of the hall, the powerful scent of cinnamon and burning logs washed over her. She was met with well-lit dining area complete with smoldering logs in a fireplace. An ajar door opposite her led to what appeared to be a kitchen. Set up before her was a long wooden dining table, lit with taper candles burning in three candelabras. Three wooden chairs were placed before three large bowls as if the people that lived there just left the room, although the chairs looked like they had been recently repaired. A fourth, much smaller bowl was overturned and on the floor, traces of food still inside. Yang instantly dropped into a fighting stance, her eyes darting about the room scanning for the occupants.

She frowned as she slowly shuffled into the room, all senses on high alert for any other signs of life. None of this made sense. This was supposed to be an abandoned mansion with one monster living inside. And the kidnapped inventor. She didn't see anyone else on the path up to the mansion, and there were no signs of communication sent from the port town. Yang ruled out a possible ambush, but kept up her guard. She warily explored the room, checking every corner, cabinet and shelving unit for anything out of place. Everything seemed normal enough, if only eerily quiet. Not finding anything suspicious besides the laid out meals, she kept herself on alert as she reapproached the table, all set out for company.

The smell of cinnamon from the bowls of what appeared to be oatmeal got stronger the closer she got. It was enough to make her stomach growl. Yang pursed her lips as she stared at the bowl closest to her. Cinnamon _was_ one of her favorite additions to oatmeal. She also hadn't eaten much on the trip over. One small bout of seasickness early on in her travels ruled out any meal heavier than soda bread. When she realized she was drooling, Yang wiped at her mouth and shook her head quickly to clear it.

"No… it might be poisoned or something..." she mumbled aloud, turning her gaze away from the food.

But like a magnet, her eyes were drawn back to the cinnamon goodness and her stomach grumbled again. The longer she thought on it, the less sense a poison lunch laid out like this made. It would serve no good to poison the captive. Not to mention if any food in this world shouldn't be wasted, it would have to be cinnamon oatmeal.

And she was getting hungry.

With a light sigh, Yang resigned herself to the urge to eat and picked up the spoon laid neatly next to the bowl, dipping it into the oatmeal, and took a bite. As soon as the food passed her lips, Yang spit it back out, making a face at the spoon still in her hand.

"Ice cold..." she grumbled, setting the spoon back down.

Cold, but still delicious. Now that the taste was in her mouth, Yang wanted more. She moved over to the second closest bowl, smirking at the steam still rising from the top. This one would surely be better. Taking a large spoonful, Yang hummed happily as she brought the food to her mouth. A split second later she yelped, the spoon clattering to the floor.

"Hot hot hot!" she whined, fanning her tongue.

Desperate for relief after her piping hot mistake, she turned back to the hauntingly cold oatmeal to cool off. She shuddered in disgust, pushing both bowls away from her. The third one caught her eye and she briefly wondered what sort of horrors it could contain. They said third tries were always the charm though. Cautiously, Yang walked around the table to it, pulling the bowl closer to her. She gave it a closer inspection than the previous two, checking for temperature and any other abnormalities. Everything seemed fine on the surface. With a light "hmph" Yang decided to give it a shot, taking a significantly smaller bite.

This one was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold, and the perfect blend of spice, milk, and oats. The words 'just right' came to mind. Yang couldn't help herself. She had to have more. Before she knew it she was slurping down the remaining oatmeal. The perfect meal re-energized her, bringing new strength to her body.

"Alright, no more detours," she said to herself, turning to leave the dining area.

The rest of the ground floor was just as empty, but with even less signs of living. Yang found room after room of overturned furniture and no clues on where the rumored beast was, even less on the kidnapped inventor. While exploring the west wing of the ground floor, she stumbled upon one locked door that refused to budge, no matter what she did to try and get it open. The door itself was in much better shape than anything else she had seen in the mansion. Almost as if it was brand new. Just as she was about to try and pick the lock, a loud slam from down the hall stopped Yang in her tracks. She lifted her head and stared down the hallway. She strained her eyes and ears to their limits, trying to find any other signs of disturbance. As quietly as she could, Yang headed towards the noise, back to the grand entrance way.

She must have been in the mansion longer than she thought, for what little light that shone through the curtains was dark and orange, signifying a setting sun outside. Her fists raised and gauntlets ready, Yang slowly walked into the room. A shadow caught her eye as she rounded the railing and she spun to follow it. Tsking lightly, Yang repositioned herself to get closer to one of the large windows. Once again, a large black shadow shuffled just outside her line of sight.

"I know you're here, beast," she said, reaching behind her to grab the curtain, yanking the fabric to the side, "you can't hide forever."

Her own shadow stretched in the new pool of light in the room. It wasn't enough to reach the other wall and Yang cursed the timing of the sun. She was met with silence broken only by light clacking sounds as the shadow yet again changed positions. She cursed under her breath again as she analyzed the situation. Fighting in the dark room would leave her at a disadvantage, But staying in the light was just as bad. With the shadow between her and the door, a retreat to the outside would be too difficult to pull off. Yang growled and pointed at the shape.

"Only cowards stay hidden in the shadows, you know."

Instantly, the shadow stopped moving and stood still. Impossibly still. Yang glared at it, waiting for some sort of reaction. She readied herself to launch herself at the creature as it walked forward, the clacking from its claws heavier with each step. As soon as the beast stepped into the light, Yang locked up.

Standing before her was a large, pitch black, anthropomorphic panther-like creature, roughly eight feet tall despite standing hunched over. Two long saber fangs protruded over the sides of its snarling muzzle. One of its too long arms was raised, a paw the size of Yang's head curled up to show long curved claws. Tattered bits of fabric clung around its neck and torso. Its long tail swished back and forth violently, stirring up dust and debris around its digitigrade legs. The beast growled, its ears flattening against its head as it leaned in closer to Yang's face. Golden eyes burned with rage into wide lilac ones. It opened its mouth and spoke, its voice rough and raspy, yet feminine in nature.

"I. Am not. A coward."


	2. The Beasts

**A/N: I had finished this earlier this month, after a 90% rewrite. I wasn't happy with what I had written. This version feels better to me and I hope you all enjoy it too. But as for being published so late, some life stuff happened and I was unable to get online. Things are looking up now and the creative juices are flowing. I wanna thank Morbid1Curiosity, shadowsphere13, and KacchanGoBoom for the advice, ideas, and general help.**

* * *

Yang Xiao Long had gone toe to toe with some of the largest of Grimm in her lifetime. Ursa Maximus, Giant Borbatusk and Alpha Beowolves to name a few. All in the name of keeping her king and queens subjects and settlements safe. She was never one to back down from a challenge, no matter what. Yet here she was, inches away from a beast larger than any Grimm she had seen before, and near unable to move. The beast let out a low growl, pupils shrinking to mere slits in the light.

It spoke up again, bringing one claw to Yang's cheek, "You have no business calling me a coward when you yourself are dripping with fear."

Yang inhaled sharply, glaring at the beast before her. True, a part of her was scared. Almost downright terrified. But she couldn't let it interfere with her mission. Not when she had come so far. Squaring her shoulders and standing up straight, Yang swatted away the beasts claw.

"So you have enough guts to show yourself. I'll give you that," she said, raising her fists defensively, "so let's see what you can really do, huh?"

As soon as she moved into a fighting stance, the beast shrunk down slightly. Yang smirked, playfully jabbing at the air. "All hot air and no bite, kitten?"

She was able to hold her confidence until a second, deep, sandpapery male voice echoed in the room.

"Blake? What do you have there?"

Both Yang and the beast turned in the direction of the voice. Yang was able to catch something equally large and furry pass by the entrance door, which was currently being shut. The bit of sun that made it through the rapidly shrinking gap illuminated two large feline shapes before the natural darkness of the room swallowed them back up. Yang wasn't sure how she missed the door opening to begin with. She huffed at herself, keeping an eye on the beast called Blake as well as the other two approaching behind her. She couldn't see the others clearly, but she could definitely make out they were larger. Especially the one approaching on her right.

The new beast on Blake's left leaned into the light, a few rays of sun twinkling off the gold studs in her ears. Yang took a step back as the new sabercat's face got closer. The beast sniffed the air a couple of times before frowning.

"Oh, the poor dear is frightened," her voice was just as raspy as the others but more mature in tone, "Blake, you know what our… appearances do for visitors."

"Woah! She's pretty!"

A second higher and clear male voice came from the right, taking the attention of the beast off her. Yang jerked her head to the second beast in the shadows. It didn't sound like that would have come from that one, but she couldn't find an obvious source for the voice. Blake and the other beast turned their heads to look at the source, Blake's ears falling back and her muzzle twitching as she did so. The higher male voice spoke up again.

"Where did she come from?" it asked.

The larger beast on the left looked back at the door. "Blake, did you forget to lock the door behind you?"

"No offense Mr. B, but we don't get anyone out here. No solicitors, visitors, burglers...No one at all."

A shadow jumped off the largest male beast and onto the floor. Yang, still tensed, watched the movement like a hawk. The new figure was just over a foot tall and differently shaped. Not another feline but she couldn't quite tell what kind of animal it was. Just before it entered the light like Blake and the other beast had, it suddenly froze and backed up.

"...Wait a minute! What if she's another one?!"

Suddenly the air in the room changed. Blake took a couple of steps back into the dark, holding her paws by her chest. Her ears went flat and a look of pure horror took over her features. Yang watched them cautiously, lowering her fists a fraction. The male beast moved first, stepping into the light as if to shield Blake. He was a full head and a half taller than Blake and the other beast. A pitch-black mane encircled his head and neck, and his fangs were longer than the others. Definitely the biggest threat in the room. Just as Yang pulled back her arm to strike, the beast dipped his head in a bow.

"Pardon our manners. We did not mean to upset you."

Yang faltered for a moment before lowering her arms halfway. She looked between them all, her eyes lingering on Blake as she took another small step back into the shadows. The last five minutes have all been subsequent sucker punches to her psyche. If she was going to be honest with herself, she had no idea how to feel about anything at this moment. It was all too…bizarre. She took a short deep breath and let her arms slowly fall to her sides, keeping her fists clenched.

"All I want is information on Doctor Merlot," she said.

The largest beast picked up his head and exchanged glances with the other two, a low worried rumble coming from his throat. Yang watched them cautiously, trying to anticipate their next moves. The one to her left took a couple steps forward, holding her paws together.

"Oh yes dear, of course. But please, allow us to make up for any...inappropriate behavior first."

"Yes yes, we do feel awful for making you feel in any way unwelcome," The male beast continued, also moving closer to Yang.

Yang took a step back, her eyes flicking between the two. Could she take them both on? Probably, if it came down to it. "Just give me the information I want," she said slowly.

The beasts stopped their advancement, exchanged yet another set of worried looks and once again put their full focus back on her. The female spoke up again. "How about over supper? We just got back from our walk waiting for it to cool. Oh, you must be hungry too. We just made dinner not too long ago. It should be cool enough by now. Please, be our guest!"

Yang frowned. "I'm not going to ask again. Where is Doctor Merlot?"

Silence filled the quickly darkening room. Yang spared a glance behind her. The sun was almost completely set, the once light orange goal she stood in now red. She let out a huff. Staying this late was not in the plan.

"He's in the second-floor study!"

Yang turned her head back to the beasts to find the smaller animal from before standing in front of the others. A yellow monkey with a set of saber-like fangs was toothily grinning up at her. A pair of blue pants was tied around his waist with some rope. After the day she had, one would think Yang would be used to strange and bizarre things by now. Yet she still found herself hesitating for a second at the sight. The male beast took a step forward.

"...Sun, what are you-"

"Yep! That Merlot dude is absolutely there, happy as a clam," the monkey named Sun interrupted him, waving a hand dismissively behind him, "So there! That's your information, ma'am!"

Yang thought about it for a moment. He said it was a study, but the reports clearly mentioned a dungeon. Unless the study was code for a dungeon? But that didn't make sense either. Who even had an upstairs dungeon? There was only one way to confirm this.

"You said the second-floor study?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am! Where he totally is and just, you know, hanging out."

Taking one last look at the almost completely set sun behind her, Yang took a few steps forward, stepping over Sun and towards the beasts. They parted to let her through as if she would burn them if she touched them. She targeted the stairs next. "Is the study in the east or west wing?"

"Uhh, wa-wait! Where are you going?" Sun called. He ran forward, skidding to a stop in front of her.

"I'm going to retrieve him," Yang answered, stepping over him once again. She had reached the stairs and gone up two of them when Sun ran in front of her again, this time with his arms outstretched.

"You can't! He's uhh...sleeping!"

"Then I'll wake him up,"

"He's realllly cranky if he wakes up!"

"I'll be able to handle cranky."

"Not his level of cranky!"

"One more interruption and I'll take you in for obstruction, monkey."

Yang stepped around him this time and had finally made it to the top of the stairs. She turned around to face them. "Now, was it to the left or the..."

She was met with two of the beasts halfway up the stairs, frozen in mid-step with wide eyes. They shrunk back a bit, ears going flat against their heads. Behind them on the main floor, Blake had a struggling Sun in her grip, one large paw around his face.

"...right," Yang finished her sentence, narrowing her eyes at them. Straightening herself up, she curled her hands into fists. "Is there a reason you had to sneak up behind me like that or…?"

Slowly, the two descended backward, hanging their heads in shame. "We...didn't mean to scare you. But..." the female trailed off.

"...But we were trying to stop you," finished the male.

As soon as they both reached the ground floor, the two dropped to all fours and looked up at Yang for just a moment before bowing down as low as they could get. Yang pursed her lips as she watched their display. They didn't appear to be readying to pounce or attack. Still, she couldn't let her guard down. She let out a slow "I'm listening..." as she folded her arms, keeping all four of them in clear sight.

"We didn't want you to get angry when you got there," the female explained, looking up at Yang, "But that...looks like we made you upset anyway. Sometimes our son speaks before he thinks, you see, so..."

The male started to stand. He caught Yang's eye halfway up and froze up. Clearing his throat, he moved slower, eventually bowing properly to her. "Again, pardon our manners. My name is Ghira Belladonna. Next to me is my wife, Kali. And our daughter Blake and our adopted son, er...Sun.

"The man, that mister Merlot. He's...no longer in this mansion. And I'm sorry my son lied. I'm sure he thought it would just make you happy to think it was true and leave us. He didn't mean any harm by it." He paused to look at her again, his tail sweeping tightly around his hindpaws. "But the truth is he's not here. We...aren't sure where he had left to."

The room went mostly silent, save for the sounds of Sun landing on the floor with a cough. The small action didn't hold Yang's attention for more than a moment. She frowned as she pondered what Kali and Ghira had said to her. All the reports stated Merlot had been kidnapped and held against his will. That the beast was vicious and held no mercy. Then again, it only mentioned one beast, not three. And none of them had been acting as described. She looked over them once more, squinting slightly in the darkening room to see them better. Nothing in their current body language seemed hostile. It was pretty easy to deduce they weren't lying.

With a frustrated sigh, Yang ran a hand through her slightly damp hair, the small reminder of the heat in the area adding another straw to her bad mood. Nothing was adding up and she was absolutely going to figure things out. Yang reached for her side to grab the report from her pouch. She felt nothing. Blinking a couple of times then looking down, she felt around for the papers only to turn up empty-handed. Just as she was trying to figure out where it was it hit her. Yang closed her eyes and let out a long low groan. It must have been in with the papers she handed to that Faunus guard. Taking a deep breath, Yang reopened her eyes to the confused beasts below her.

Without a word, she marched back down the stairs. She kept an eye on the beasts as they watched her, noticing their ears and heads tilting slightly as she passed them. The only one to move was Sun, who ran to walk alongside her, hopping out of the way of Blakes paw.

"Hey, where are you going now?" he asked, his small legs moving twice as fast to keep pace.

"I'm going back into town to get to the bottom of this," she replied curtly, keeping her eyes trained on the doors ahead of her.

"But it's night now! You can't go out there now!"

Yang stopped for just a moment, glaring down at the monkey. "I think you've had enough of telling me where to go."

"But he's right,"

The two turned to see Blake, wringing her paws together. "There's monsters out there. At sunset and night. It's...not safe. You really should stay inside."

Yang watched her for a long moment before turning back with a frown and heading towered the door. These beasts sure were pushy. But not in a threatening way. They appeared to be more afraid of _her_ than anything else. She was sure that would also be solved as soon as she got back into town. She brushed aside the warning of monsters as well. With her trusty gauntlets, she could easily handle herself. Whatever they really wanted with keeping her there was worth beating up a few local Grimm. As she got to the door, she spared one final glance behind her. The four looked apprehensive, the only sound from Blake's tail swishing nervously behind her. Facing the eight pairs of eyes made Yang shudder and she opened the door, the still warm outdoor air of Menagerie greeting her.

And the panicked whinny of her horse.


	3. Bulb

**A/N: Apologies for getting this up so late. I had a major surgery done and while recovering, the last thing on my mind was writing. Another apology in advance for not starting or keeping a regular update schedule from here on out. Work keeps me pretty busy and tends to exhaust me, especially in recovery now. I'll try and get the next few out quicker. Thank you all for your patience. **

**Special thanks to morbid1curiosity for beta-ing and helping out.**

* * *

As soon as she heard the sound, Yang bolted off the front steps, completely leaping over them as she kicked off into a full sprint. Her heart was already racing as she rounded the side of the mansion, small clouds of dry dirt and dust flying up as she slid to a stop. Reflexively she called out her horses' name as soon as the animal came into view. Bumblebee was snorting as she backed away from her attackers. A small pack of five earless creatures being a monstrous cross between rats and wolves. Each of their two-foot tall bodies low as they crept toward the horse, with coarse black fur shimmering in the moonlight. Long hairless tails lashed side to side as they closed in.

"Hey!" Yang shouted as she charged the creatures.

Three of them turned to her, their bared fangs and sharp teeth glinting for just a moment before they targeted her instead. She was only able to get a quick glimpse of Bumblebee rearing up to stomp before her attention was yanked to the fight before her. She yelled and swung at them, her left striking its target. The impact was enough to knock it a good distance away. It gave her just a fleeting second of relief before she swung her right at another. She was less lucky, hitting air instead of fur. It slammed into her side with a metallic twang, forcing her to take a step back from the impact. A second backhanded swing was true, her gauntlet colliding with its skull. Yang took a moment to smirk with satisfaction as she quickly reset herself. The one she hit tumbled with legs flailing, quickly righting itself to attack again. Yang used her left to block it.

The other monster snapped at her again, latching itself to her right forearm. Bone scraped on metal with an awful sound that made Yang grit her teeth. Yang tried to shake it off but the creature was persistent, refusing to let go. She kicked and swung with her free arm at the other as it continued to bite and claw at her. Finally, her arm was freed with the sound of the gauntlets buckles tearing. It was something Yang couldn't spare time to think about.

Every right hook from there out was off-centered. It threw off her aim just enough to lose the upper hand and even out against the things. Yang was getting more and more frustrated. With a yell, one right punch collided with a skull. The monster let out a screech as it tumbled, shaking its head from the rattling blow it received. While it managed to damage it more, the blow was enough to completely jostle the loosened gauntlet free. It flew off with a muted clatter as it embedded in the dirt. There wasn't any time to grab it. She'd have to go half bare-fisted.

The creatures were getting harder and harder to hit. Almost as if they were learning. She put some distance between herself and the monsters to take a breath, quickly wiping sweat from her brow. Movement in the corner of her eye stopped her and Yang jerked her head to view the new threat. Peering around the corner was Blake's form, gold eyes shining from the moonlight.

Her body was low and her ears were flat against her skull. Her claws were sunk in the paneling of the mansion as she watched on. And then, she ducked back and out of sight. Yang tsked before throwing up her armored fist to block yet another lunge. Just as she was entertaining the thought of getting some help.

She came to a stop as Bumblebee cried out in pain. She pivoted around to find one of the other two creatures had sunk its teeth into the horse's hock, while the other snapped around her hooves. Her pause lasted just long enough for one monster to sink its teeth into her unprotected arm. Yang cried out as she put all her focus on the creature. She tried to shake it off but it sunk its teeth in further as it held tight. All the while the other two continued their attacks. Now practically seeing red, Yang put all her strength into her left arm, relentlessly beating on the things skull. When it loosened its bite just enough, she grabbed it by the scruff and used it as a weapon to beat off the other two. They screeched and hissed in pain as they got beat back. Finally, she spun in a full circle before throwing it as hard as she could at the one on her horse. Her aim was true and the two slammed into each other, both tumbling to the ground with more screeches. Yang let out a yell, ready to charge. She never got the chance.

A large black shadow landed in between her and the monsters. It was enough to shake the ground under her feet. One swipe of a massive arm sent one of the creatures flying into two others with a chorus of sharp yelps. The shadow didn't let up, snarling and swiping with deadly accuracy. The two survivors turned tail and bolted for the mountain forest behind the mansion. Panting, Yang took a couple of steps toward the beast ready to both thank and reprimand Blake. The beast straightened up and Yang stopped. She wasn't quite sure why but mild disappointment filled her as she realized it was Ghira before her.

"Thanks, uhh...Ghira," Yang said.

Ghira had turned to face her. He scratched at his mane nervously. "The thanks should be reserved for Blake,"

Yang raised an eyebrow as she repeated the name. "Blake?"

The beast gestured to behind her and she turned around to see Blake a few feet away, two white boxes in her paws. Her tail was wrapped around her feetpaws and her head held low as if in apology. Sun's head poked up from her left shoulder and he waved at Yang, a toothy grin on his face.

Ghira spoke back up. "She went directly to me after seeing the trouble. Menagerian Devils aren't to be trifled with. And she ran through the house to find all our first aid supplies. Which was a very brave act, don't you think?" his voice took on an almost hopeful beat as he spoke.

Yang frowned. Far too many times had she praised her younger sister for being brave in getting help from her stepmother or their father. She could feel the disappointment over Blake backing out earlier leaving her body. Deciding to let it go, Yang put her focus on Bumblebee. The horse seemed okay enough, her injured hind leg raised off the ground. She only got a couple steps closer before Sun darted between them, leaping up and grabbing at the saddle.

"H-hey! Get off her!" Yang called, taking a big step forward.

She stopped in surprise as the horse didn't seem to mind the monkey settling into her saddle. She turned her head to watch him, one ear flicking curiously.

"Aww, she's alright. Not afraid of us, are you?" Sun assured, giving her neck a quick pat. He climbed back over the saddle and her rear, halfway crawling down her leg to look at her injury. He let out a low whistle. "That's a deep bite. Gonna need your help, Mr. B! Blake, toss us some antidote!"

"Antidote?" Yang wondered aloud.

Blake had taken a couple of steps to meet her father by Bumblebee, transferring a vial of green liquid with some bandage rolls to him from the boxes she carried. As he got to work, she cautiously approached Yang.

"For the bites," she said, "you were bitten too, weren't you?"

With the adrenaline gone, the injury Yang sustained suddenly made itself well known. She winced at the painful throbbing radiating up her arm. She held it up in front of her to inspect the damage. Blake had since set the first aid boxes next to her and reached out to Yang. The cat hesitated for a moment before reaching out to cradle Yang's arm in a paw. Despite her size, she was incredibly delicate as she inspected the bite wound. She sat on her haunches and fished out a rag to quickly dab away the blood before retrieving a vial similar to what she passed to Ghira.

"It'll tingle for a moment, but without it you could even lose this arm," she said, turning the contents of the vial over and onto the wound.

Yang inhaled sharply as the medicine was worked into her wound. Pins and needles flared up around the gel and shot up to her shoulder. She gritted her teeth with a hiss.

"What did Ghira call them? Something devils?" Yang asked after a moment, trying to distract herself from the pain. "I haven't seen Grimm like that before."

"Menagerian Devils. They're natural wildlife here," Blake answered. She dipped her paw back into the box, pulling out a roll of bandages and used her front teeth to open it. "They're nasty and venomous, like just about everything else out here."

With surprising dexterity, she started wrapping up Yang's arm. The tingling had begun to subside, allowing Yang to notice just how soft and warm Blakes paws were. It was an oddly soothing sensation. But she couldn't focus on that right now. "And Bumblebee?"

Immediately she looked to her horse. Bumblebee was calmly grazing as Ghira worked on wrapping up her leg. Sun had since settled on her back, feeding the bandage roll with one hand and putting the empty vials back in the box with the other. He caught her gaze and waved.

"She'll be sore for a few days, but we got the meds on her in time!" he smiled, "good thing Blake got us when she did!"

The emphasis on Blake a second time struck Yang as odd. It was like they were trying to show her off. But for what reason, she had no idea. She slowly turned her head back to Blake, who was just finishing up bandaging her arm. Nothing about her physically looked particularly special. As far as she knew her personality wasn't outstanding either. The anthro cat released her and Yang gave her wrist a couple of test rotations. It still hurt to move and the pinpricking sensation still crawled under her skin. But it was much better than before. Ghira must have finished his work as well, for he gathered up all the supplies he was using and took some steps back from Bumblebee.

"She's going to be okay, but she needs to rest that leg," he said.

Yang stayed silent. Going back to town on foot was out of the question. But she couldn't push her horse that distance right now either. She had no other choice but to stay with them. She'd just have to make her own report, then compare the two as soon as possible.

"How long will it take for her to recover?" she asked.

"Two, three weeks at the most. Just to be on the safe side. With daily bandaging and medication changes. You'll need the same," Ghira replied, "we have a large shed on the other side we can keep her in. It's a good shelter from weather and monsters,"

Yang took a step forward. "And I'll stay there with her."

A moment passed. "...Wouldn't you rather stay in the house? We have nice warm beds you are more than welcome to."

"You can use my room!" Sun spoke up, hopping off the back of the horse, "I'm too small for my bed anyway. It'll be perfect for you!" He paused. "...Not saying you're big or anything. Well, you are, compared to me, but not as big as Blake!"

Blake shot him a look, one ear flicking back in annoyance. The air seemed to clear up a little with the small interaction. It was strangely comforting. Yang was struggling to keep her guard up. With how late it was and with all the excitement she had, it was getting more and more difficult to do so. As worried as she was about her animal companion, she didn't seem to be in bad hands. Still, she would check up on her first thing in the morning. Yang ran her fingers over the bandages on her arm. Two to three more weeks…

Thoughts immediately went to her younger sister and the upcoming wedding Ruby was to have. She had already taken a few months into consideration before leaving on her mission. A couple more weeks shouldn't be a problem. Or she hoped it wouldn't. Not that she had a choice but to take the extra time at this point. She conceded with a sigh. "Alright."

The three of them perked up at the same time, all their focus on Yang. The comforting feeling from before ebbed slightly from all eyes on her.

Ghira rubbed his paws together. "Well then, you must be exhausted. Blake, please show her to her new room," Ghira said, "Sun can help me out here."

"I'm gonna need my other…" Yang didn't get to finish her sentence. Blake held out one of her paws, the missing gauntlet resting in the center. Yang took it from her, giving it a quick once over. The metal was scratched but otherwise okay. But the buckles that held it to her arm were torn to shreds. Nothing she couldn't fix but it was still a bummer. She looked up at Blake. "When did you grab this?"

"Earlier. Thought you would want it back," Blake shrugged.

It became obvious quickly that Yang wasn't going to get any more out of her about it. Blake had already turned to the mansion, gesturing for the human to follow her. Holding her gauntlet in her good hand, she followed her back into the manor. The beast shuffled awkwardly as they approached the front door before squeezing herself to the side in order to push the door open for her. Yang gave her a small thanks before ducking ever so slightly to make it under the cat's arm.

As the two approached the grand stairway, Yang found herself slowing down. Blake was walking alongside her rather than in front. It was enough to make her raise an eyebrow. How was she supposed to follow Blake if she wasn't _following_ Blake? Even still, she managed to get enough direction from the beast to climb the stairs and take a left. At the top of the stairs, Yang stopped in front of the large frame she sort of noticed earlier. The damage seemed different from the damage done to what little furniture she had already seen. Her focus was taken away by the sensation of something soft against the back of her knees. She looked down to see the tip of Blake's tail brushing around her legs. The anthro cat nodded her head in the direction of the west hall.

Now that she wasn't actively looking for anyone, Yang was able to take a better look around. The hallways were large, with scattered decorative tables and pots marking the spaces between the windows. Some were broken and fallen, others awkwardly placed with makeshift legs to keep them standing. Opposite the windows was a long segment of blinds, all closed tightly. Despite the size of the hallways and the generous amount of space she was given, it still felt cramped to be walking side by side with Blake. Yang kept one eye on her, just in case. She still hadn't completely let down her guard after all. With help from the moonlight shining through the windows, she could see a mix of fear and curiosity on Blake's face.

A shattered mirror glinted at the end of the long hall where the two took a right turn. There was another small hallway here that looked like it connected to the other side. An immediate left took them to a new long, wide hall with multiple doors of various decor. There was more beyond but without natural light and no lit candles, it was getting difficult for Yang to see. She was just about to ask about the lights about it when Blake suddenly stopped.

"This is it," she announced, gesturing to a door with her paw.

A couple of seconds passed and Yang watched Blake jump, almost as if some loud noise startled her. She hastily moved closer to the door in a mild panic and opened the bedroom door, appearing to bow to her as soon as the action was done. Yang raised an eyebrow as she crossed the threshold into the room.

It was medium-sized with a full-size bed in the center against the wall, with two tall windows that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. Their curtains were drawn back to let the light in. Something Yang was grateful for. Simple furniture was placed around the room-a desk, an armoire, and a dresser-as well as decorative framed pictures of sands and faraway jungles. A light layer of dust coated everything in the room. It clearly hadn't been used in a long while. After taking a quick look, she headed for one of the windows first to gauge where in the mansion she was. It must have been the opposite of where she was. Not placed too far from the mansion was a rather large shed covered in half-dead vines. Ghira and Bumblebee were in plain sight, the beast leading the compliant horse to it. Yang breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to Blake. The cat was standing in the doorway just barely over the threshold holding her arms to her chest. Despite all the beasts seeming nervous around her, Blake seemed to be the most so.

"I'm not gonna set you on fire or anything," Yang joked.

She watched Blake visibly relax. As if she thought being set on fire was in the realm of possibility. Blake hesitated for just a moment longer before tiptoeing into the room.

"Umm… you're more than welcome to change. The clothes here should fit you," she started nervously, "and try not to lay on your right side. To help yourself heal."

Yang took a couple of steps to the closest dresser and opened it a bit. Semi folded clothes greeted her, as well as a couple of freshly disturbed moths that flew out and away.

"Can I get you anything else?" Blake asked.

"Uhh...no, I'm alright," Yang answered.

Blake nodded to herself, starting to back out of the room. "Just call. If you do,"

She shuffled herself out quickly and had the door halfway closed when Yang spoke up.

"Hey, uhh, Blake?" The door stopped and one golden eye glinted at Yang from the dark. She paused for a moment before continuing. "Thanks. For earlier. You have some guts after all."

It was hard to tell Blake's reaction, but the way her visible eye widened it must have been good. Or so Yang hoped. After bidding each other a quick good night, Yang investigated the dresser once more. It took her to find a suitable change of clothes. A good amount had been moth-eaten. Even after finding a change, she let out a long exhale and left the clothes on the dresser. Changing would be too much effort right now.

She took care to avoid pulling on her bandages as much as possible. Once all changed and settled with her armor and other belongings resting next to her apparent new outfit, she set her boots by the bed and tried to make herself comfortable on the mattress. There was an instant relief as she sat in her underclothes. It was hotter in Menagerie than she had anticipated.

Trying to shake the underlying awkward feeling of sleeping in basically a stranger's bed, she took a look at her arm, examining the bandages. Only a small amount of blood had seeped through at this point, but it didn't bother her too much. The throbbing had all but stopped as well. Yang let out an exhale and with it came out all the stress from the day. She closed her eyes and almost instantly fell asleep, her exhaustion finally taking over.


	4. Bud

When Yang awoke, she immediately regretted doing so. Every muscle in her body was sore. But the light coming in through the pulled back curtains was just bright enough to disrupt any more sleep she would have gotten if she tried. With a final long exhale, Yang rubbed at her eyes before yawning and sitting up. Her joints creaked and popped with the movement, which did bring a short amount of relief. She groaned as she stretched. She felt like she got run over by a carriage. She'd been in a few fights in her life but feeling this stiff and sore the next day was a first.

She took a moment to look around the room. At some point, she had grabbed the blankets in the night and also kicked them off. One of her legs was still tangled up in the sheets. She took a look at her injured arm. Some blood had seeped through the wrappings, and from her fingers to her elbow tingled and throbbed. Fortunately, her pain level remained low.

Everything else was still in the same place she left it last night. Not that she was worried about any of the beasts taking any of her belongings. Yang untangled herself and got out of bed. Her legs felt like they were screaming at her with each step she took to the dresser she had laid her armor and change of clothes on. Despite it still being morning, she could feel the beginnings of the outside heat creeping into the room. Any thoughts she had of wearing her armor or cloak quickly went out the window.

She picked up the shirt she had chosen last night and held it up. It was a white button-up with a collar, but the sleeves had been cut and hemmed short. One side was more uneven and lopsided than the other. But it was thin and large enough to fit her. Yang slid her arms through being extra careful of the bandages on her arm. Before she got to the buttons on the front, she paused. Already she was getting too warm. It wouldn't be possible to wear her underclothes with the new ones.

With a slow exhale of defeat and mild annoyance, Yang shed her new shirt and pulled her underclothes up and off. Now left in a bandeau and short shorts, she actually found herself appreciating feeling a bit cooler. She put on the shirt again and got the three bottom buttons done before she stopped. Not that she wanted to. She couldn't fasten the upper ones. They just weren't there. Closer examination showed they had been cut off completely some time ago. Yang grumbled and dug back through the dresser. Whatever shirts she could find that weren't far too large or moth-eaten all had the same or more buttons missing. At least what she had covered enough and was comfortable. She'd look into possibly reattaching some later.

The pants she also picked were modified as well. Cut and hemmed just under the knee. But the legs were much more even than the sleeves. The waist was larger on her than it looked, but with a small amount of digging, she was able to find a belt. She had just finished getting her boots on when a light series of knocks came at the door followed by a muffled voice. "Uhh, hello? Good morning! It's me, Sun! Are you up?"

"I'm up," Yang answered.

Some light scratching came from the other side, and just as Yang had taken a couple of steps to get it, the knob turned and opened a crack. A second later, two small hands gripped the door and pulled it open further. Sun poked his furry head in with a wide grin.

"Gooooooood morning!" he greeted, "Mrs. B wanted me to tell you breakfast will be ready soon. How's your arm?"

"Still a little sore, but I'll manage," Yang replied, holding up her injured arm, "Is Bumblebee still doing okay?"

"Healthy as a horse!" Sun grinned, "Mr. B's got her now. Trying to find only the best quality grass for her to munch on. And speaking of munching, why not come down for breakfast?"

"In a second,"

Yang moved to the window, lavender eyes scanning the grounds. The yard was much easier to see in the sunlight. The doors to the shed were open and she could see a bit of what looked like tools from her angle littering the inside. Just beyond the shed a couple of hundred feet was a shaded small grove of wild-grown hedges and splotchy tree and shrub coverage. Bumblebee and Ghira were easy to see, the horse grazing with the cat sitting close by. Yang let out an exhale of relief and faced Sun once more.

"Okay, I'm good to go," she said, heading toward the door.

She never got the chance to open it herself. Sun had scrambled to pull the door open himself, giving her an extra polite bow as she crossed the threshold. She took a look up and down the hall. Sunlight shone in a few paces to her right, illuminating more pieces of broken furniture and other doors. There even appeared to be another hall which led Yang to briefly wonder how the building seemed to be so much bigger on the inside.

"Allow me to lead the way, ma'am!" Sun pointed to his fluffy chest as he spoke.

In the daytime Yang was able to get a better look at the monkey. Despite being mostly yellow, he had a cream face and stomach. The fur around his face was spiked up naturally too. Combined with his size he was actually adorable.

She followed him through the same hall Blake took her the night before. The first few paces were fine, but the soreness she woke up with was quickly catching up to her. By the time they had made it to the grand stairwell, Yang was once again regretting her decision to get up. Every joint and muscle was still stiff. But the smell of fresh cooked eggs and meats that filled the room was enough to keep her going. She followed Sun down the stairs, rolling a shoulder to work out the pain.

"Geez, it smells like a restaurant," she commented as she rounded the corner towards the dining area.

"They're great cooks. Always have been, actually," Sun smiled, his legs moving quickly to keep ahead of Yang, "you're going to love it. Especially their tea. The tea is really good."

As soon as Yang entered the dining area, she froze. Despite having been in the room the previous day, it looked completely different. Sure the table and modified chairs were the same, but the decor was all new. The table was filled to the edges with food of all kinds. Eggs, bacon, pancakes, milk, tea, oatmeal, toast, and so much more. A white silk tablecloth bore every plate bowl and cup before her. The entire room was cleaned and a strong fire was burning in the hearth. Candles and sconces were lit, and flowers of all kinds provided perfect accents to the natural colors of the room. It looked almost royal.

"This...is a lot," Yang said, her gaze wandering all over the room.

The door on the other side of the room opened up and Kali walked through, a plate of steaming sausages in one paw and a large jug in the other. A lavender apron with fresh batter stains covered her black and white outfit. She jumped slightly in surprise when she saw Yang before putting on a large and warm smile.

"Good morning, dear," she greeted, "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I made a little of everything!" She gracefully crossed the room and set the plate down on an open corner of the table. "Please, have a seat. Help yourself to whatever you like. I can always make more. Blake, come out here please!" A moment later, Blake exited the kitchen, her ears perked forward and her tail raised inquisitively. She also adorned an apron, although hers a darker purple, with more batter and other various fresh stains speckling it. Kali swept her own tail to gesture to Yang. "Help our guest with her seat. And get whatever she wants if it's out of reach."

Blake swiftly moved to the chair nearest Yang. It was the largest out of the three. But she never got to pull it out. She took one look at the blonde and froze up. Her jaw and tail dropped as she stared. Yang raised an eyebrow, giving herself a once over after a moment. She didn't feel like she looked odd. Perhaps the shirt _was_ a bit big on her. Or perhaps…no, it couldn't be.

...Maybe?

Yang shifted slightly, moving her arms just so casually to close up her shirt a little. Not long after, Blake seemed to return to Remnant and pulled out the chair for her, bowing deeply as she did so. Yang watched her for a moment. It had to be coincidental, right? She took a seat and Blake pushed the chair in to place her directly in front of a pile of crepes drizzled with honey and berries.

"If there's anything you don't like, miss, please tell us. We just stocked up the other day and I can make anything any way you want. Our command is your request," Kali said, standing up straight.

To Yang's right, Sun had managed to climb up onto a free space on the packed table with some flatware in his paws. "Gotcha some stuff to eat with, ma'am!"

"Just Yang would work," said the blonde, taking the fork and knife from Sun, "it's my name after all. And 'ma'am' and 'miss' are older titles. I'm only twenty-four."

"Ah right! Of course...Yang!" Kali said hesitantly.

Yang shot her a small smile before turning her gaze to the bountiful feast before her. There really was too much to choose from. Her stomach gave a light growl as she took it all in. She shifted in her seat, which was unusually hard and uncomfortable for a dining chair. But she tried to not focus on how much more uncomfortable that was making her already sore body. The crepes before her looked appetizing enough. And she had no reason to believe any of it was poisoned. The beasts still appeared to be frightened of her and more than willing to serve her. As she cut off a piece of crepe, the realization hit her. Why all of this treatment felt so familiar.

This was just how Weiss was treated back in Castle Beacon.

"Is everything to your liking, Miss, err...Yang?" Kali asked, leaning in hopefully.

"It's great! Even if I'm a little overwhelmed," Yang answered, "but uh...can I get a different chair? This one is way too hard and uncomfortable."

About four seconds passed before Yang was pulled backward. She turned to find Blake behind her, mild panic on her face. The anthro cat hurried to a second smaller chair and jerked it out with a loud scrape. Her ears shifted between flat and perked a few times before she speed-walked back to Yang, offering a paw. Yang had to hold back a snicker. It was somewhat cute.

...Wait, cute? Yeah, that was a good word for it. Cute. Well, she always did like cats.

Yang moved the paw away. "I can get up myself, thanks,"

She made her way to the chair Blake pulled out for her. This one had more details, even if some of them were lost to modification. A light blue cushion rested in the center. Yang couldn't help but feel relieved at the sight. Finally, some comfort. She took a seat and Blake pushed her in once again. But Yang didn't have the opportunity to even look at the food this time. She was still uncomfortable, if not more so. She sank back into the chair, the cushion making it hard to sit up straight. There was no way she could eat like this.

"Sorry to bother you again, but this one is way too soft," Yang said, pushing herself up straight with her good arm, "I keep sinking back into it."

This time when Blake offered her paw, Yang took it to get herself up and out. Once again she was mildly amazed by how velvety soft Blakes paw pads were. The urge to stroke her fur and cushiony pads welled up in her and Yang had to actively try to suppress the impulse.

The last chair sat near the other end of the table. It was just a bit smaller than the soft one. A section of the back was painted lavender and set into the center of the piece. Once again Blake pulled the chair out for her and Yang took her seat. Despite not looking too terribly different from the other two, this chair was the most comfortable of all. Almost like it was made special for her. It was perfect.

"Oh just right. Thanks, Blake," Yang said with a smile.

Blake straightened up with a smile of her own, her tail standing up as well. It was faint, but she was still close enough for Yang to hear a quiet trill from the cat. She couldn't help but smile. Yeah, cute was a fitting word.


	5. Stranger And Stranger

**A/N: My apologies for the delay in updates. I started school last month and have had less time to work on fanfic. By the end of the classes I have, I should have a certificate if I pass, so schoolwork has taken top priority in my life rn.**

* * *

"She really is looking great,"

Yang stroked Bumblebee's snout with her good hand, the horse nuzzling into her touch. Right after breakfast, Blake had escorted Yang out to Ghira and her horse. Yang didn't even have to ask. Although the animal still sported a noticeable limp, she was looking and behaving as if her injury never happened. Leg injuries were no laughing matter for horses, and to see her companion doing so well brought a surge of relief to Yang. It was like a physical weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"The medication I've been applying has been made by hand. Err...paw," Ghira said with a smile, "and the same for you, Yang."

Yang lifted her bandaged arm to take a look at it. Although she winced slightly when she did so. "Really?"

"Oh yes. We make all our medicine from home. We grow all sorts of herbs and plants in our greenhouse. It's in the center there," Ghira pointed back to the house as he spoke.

Yang followed his arm with her eyes, taking note of the top of a dome that peeked out above the tattered shingles. Despite being in and around the mansion, she had yet to see anything on the inside that looked like the entrance to a greenhouse.

Ghira continued, sitting on his haunches, "Of course, Blake tends to it more than I do these days. I'm too...large to care for my plants."

When her name was mentioned, Blake grimaced, her now red-tinged ears folding slightly in embarrassment. It was enough to pull a half-smile to Yang's face for a moment. There was more on her mind than the level of cute this anthro cat was at. Particularly how exactly Blake was able to get to this mysterious greenhouse in the first place.

"So, how do you get to it?" Yang asked Ghira, "I'm going to need some more medication soon,"

The maned cat's eyes widened for a second. He reached up to scratch at his neck nervously. "Ah well… Blake, umm, could you tend to our guest? She could use a change soon,"

Blake stiffened up, the fur around her neck rising slightly. "...Yeah. The supplies are in the house."

"The greenhouse, right?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.

Blakes tail flicked from side to side in irritation, stirring up some loose dead grass. "No. There's extra already made. We don't need to go in _there_." With that, she dropped to all fours and started padding towards the house. "Come on."

Yang raised an eyebrow and looked at Ghira. The large cat was also stiff, his ears flat and his lips pulled in an awkward simper. He jumped when he caught her eye, his tail twitching nervously in the dirt. "D-don't mind that. You should go get a new application on that arm. Oh, don't worry about your mare either. She's in excellent paws out here" Ghira grinned, very obviously trying to break the tension.

Yang frowned with a light huff. She wanted to say something more. Why would they bother even bringing it up if they were just going to shut down on the topic? It didn't make any sense. But it also just made Yang more curious. A stronger throb made her wince and clench her fist. The pain in her arm had been manageable enough so far this morning. The sudden flare-up forced her to push the thought to the back of her mind. Getting her bandages changed was the new top priority. After giving Bumblebee one last caress and bidding farewell to Ghira, Yang started after Blake, who had been waiting, a small distance away.

The closer Yang got, the more Blake seemed to shrink herself down. Her ears were flat against her skull, her tail was completely tucked between her legs and she was wringing her paws together close to her chest. She looked exactly like a kicked puppy. No, an abandoned kitten would fit better. As soon as Yang was close enough, a tangled bundle of apologies started pouring out of her maw.

"I-I didn't mean to snap, I'm sorry-it's just not a good...err, what I mean is…"

"It's fine. I'm more interested in getting these changed," Yang interrupted, holding out her injured arm, "and more medicine. Just in case there's still some venom in there or whatever."

Blake just nodded, seemingly shrinking herself down further in doing so. And once again, that same thought from breakfast reentered Yang's mind. She was pretty cute. For an 8 foot tall anthropomorphic cat, that is. And Yang just couldn't help herself. She took a couple of steps closer to Blake, earning a light head tilt from the cat. Without thinking, she reached up and gently patted her on the head. She wasn't sure if the softness of her fur would ever stop surprising her. She could feel Blake stiffen up under her touch and the tips of her ears turned a bright red.

"You can lighten up a little, you know," Yang smiled.

Blake shook her head lightly after Yang retracted her arm. She gave her a smile and straightened up. There was something different about that one for some reason. Yang couldn't quite put her finger on it. Perhaps it was the first time she had seen Blake relaxed. Not angry or fearful or basically groveling. It stirred up a hint of a strange feeling in her stomach and chest. A feeling she didn't have much time to think about. Another series of painful throbs shot up her arm from her wrist to her elbow, making her wince and grit her teeth together.

"Yeah okay, I'm gonna need that medicine real soon," she said, trying to grin through the pain.

Blake stiffened for a moment, standing up completely straight. "R-right. I'll take you there."

As the two crossed the yard, Yang mostly kept her eyes ahead of her, keeping a lookout for loose stones and holes in the unkempt lawn. But still, she was able to see Blake walking alongside her. Instead of halfway behind like she had been. The walk back to the mansion felt shorter than the way out. Maybe Yang was just walking faster to get some relief. It felt like the wounds she sported were growing fresher with every passing minute. Blake had held open the door for Yang, bowing slightly in a half curtsey as she let the human enter before her.

"We keep extra poultices and vials in the west wing," Blake said, shutting the door behind them.

As the two passed through the west hall, Yang let out a small sound as she recognized the layout. She had been here before. She had stopped before the strangely ornate door she had tried picking the lock of. In the early afternoon light, it stood out even more than before. The almost golden color contrasted against the dark oak frame, and seemed even stranger surrounded by the simple wallpaper design. Taking a step closer, she was able to see small and thin leafy vines carved into the surface. It was tempting to just reach out and touch them to see if they'd fall off the wooden vine they were attached to.

Before she got the chance to, the rattle of a folding door drew her attention away. Yang turned to find Blake about ten feet away, her snout buried into what appeared to be a closet. The door would have to wait. Yang approached Blake, taking a peek around her large body into the closet. A few shelves sat inside, packed with various bottles, vials, baskets, and jars of all sorts of medicine. Blake's tail slowly swished back and forth as she delicately dug through everything, occasionally pulling out a vial or roll of bandages and holding them in her free paw. When she had gathered up everything she apparently needed, she took a step back and shut the door. It gave another shaky rattle as if it was protesting being moved a second time.

The next thing Blake did was pull over a nearby display table. She cleared the dusty surface of it with a quick wipe of her free paw and placed her supplies on it. Taking Yang's arm gently, she began her work. She was quick and methodical, taking the same care as she did the previous night. Yang winced again at the gel-like medication was applied to her arm. From what she could tell, it was healing properly. Even if it was admittedly hard to look at. Blake subtly moved her paws as she worked, as if trying to hide the worst of it from her. Something Yang picked up on the second time she lightly cringed. And she was appreciative.

"So...did you sleep okay?" Blake asked as she tied off the new set.

"Huh?"

A small pause. "...Did you sleep okay?" Blake repeated, a little louder.

Yang blinked. Was Blake trying to make casual conversation? For the first time? She didn't seem like the type to want to strike up a chat out of the blue. It had stunned Yang for a moment,

"Umm, well enough, I suppose," Yang answered honestly, "but seriously, what do you keep in that mattress? Rocks?"

What sounded like the beginning of a snicker came out of Blake as a faint smile flashed across her muzzle. It faded quickly into a look of worry and mild panic and Yang found herself mildly disappointed by it. Blake tied off the bandages and sat back, gathering up the used supplies. "I'm sorry. Let me get you a better place to rest," After putting everything back behind the rattly door, she stood back up on her hindpaws. "I'll take you to another room."

Yang nodded, walking alongside the cat back through the hall. She snuck a final glance at the strange door before the two made it back to the grand entranceway. It definitely led to the greenhouse. And she was definitely going to figure out why they were so dodgy about it.

"Wait, let me grab my stuff," she said as the two came up to the room Yang slept in last night.

"We can get it for you," Blake started quickly.

"It's fine, I can carry my own things,"

Blake followed Yang into the room, fidgeting with her paws. "Are-are you sure you wouldn't rather have me carry it all?"

"I appreciate the royal treatment, but I'm not actually royalty. I just work for them," Yang replied with a light laugh. As she bundled up her armor in her cloak, she turned her head to look at Blake. "I have a question about these clothes, though."

"Do they not fit? The shirt does, um...look big on you," Blake said, "Err...n-not that it's a bad thing."

"No, they do fit but…" Yang left her pile of belongings on the dresser to take a couple of steps toward Blake. She pulled on part of her shirt to show her. "See here? The buttons are completely missing. This was about the only shirt that buttoned up as far as it does."

Blake slid marginally backward, looking more at the walls than at Yang. "O-oh, umm...well those are Sun's so… I-I can get you different clothes if you prefer. I'm sure there's some more, err... fitting."

It only took Yang a moment to register the situation. This was the second time she had seen Blake behave as such. She took a step back and casually smoothed out her shirt. For some reason, she was feeling warmer than usual. Maybe her cheeks were a little sunburned. That had to be it. A few moments later, the fur that had bristled up around Blake's face smoothed and her expression relaxed. The same reaction twice in the same day couldn't be any kind of coincidence. But Yang couldn't let her mind wander into that territory just yet.

She was wearing Sun's clothes. While she had known all along, she was just only thinking how strange it was. Perhaps she was just too tired the previous night to think much of it. Or perhaps it never really completely clicked until now. She took another quick glance around the room with a light frown.

"These are fine enough, don't worry," the blonde said, facing Blake once more, "I was just curious about the condition. But how are these Sun's clothes? He's so...tiny."

"In case he grows up," Blake said quickly, "more importantly, can I help you find a better room? You said his bed was too hard and I..._we_ don't want you to be uncomfortable,"

These beasts got stranger with each passing moment. It was far too obvious they were hiding something from Yang. Yet they continuously showed no signs of hostility. Every question that she asked into it just raised more questions. She'd just have to find another way of interrogating them. Until then, she'd observe and poke around.

With a shrug, Yang replied, "Lead the way,"

Blake's ears perked up with a smile. The two were two steps from the threshold when Blake suddenly stopped. Yang just managed to keep herself from crashing into her back, hopping on one foot to avoid stepping on her tail. She moved around the anthro cat to take a look at what had stopped her.

At first, she didn't see it. It wasn't until she followed Blake's startled gaze to the doorway and spotted the small, round abdomen of a spider dangling in their way. She looked back at Blake with a raised eyebrow. Blake slowly turned her head to face the blonde and after a moment had passed, her ears shot up and her maw fell as if she just had a small electric shock. Her eyes darted between Yang and the spider a couple of times before she faced the "threat" head-on. She stood up straighter and frowned, but still hesitantly raised a paw. Because Yang was so close, she could see the cat's body trembling. With a quick swipe, she smashed the spider into the doorframe with a loud smack. Blake held her position for a moment before letting out a long exhale. She looked down at Yang and a second later burst into a wide grin. As if she just conquered a truly nightmarish task.

Yang blinked, unsure how to completely process the whole event. It was like Blake had to show off she could be brave enough to kill the spider on her own. And for the second time that day, the word "cute" crossed Yang's mind

"Good job," she said, trying to hold in a laugh.

Blake lit up after that, her tail swishing happily behind her. And Yang found herself smiling along with her. The cat had taken her to the furthest room at the final end of the rather long hall. The word "Office" had long ago been engraved into the door.

"It's not exactly a bedroom. But it does have a bed," Blake said as she opened the door for Yang.

Inside was a small and busy room. One entire wall was filled with bookshelves that were overflowing with books. On her right was a moderately made bed, big enough for just one person and covered with decorative pillows. A small desk with a lamp sat by the head of the bed, with a couple of notepads stacked near the edge. To her left was a pair of large desks. The closer one, a rolltop, had been kept neatly, but the other was covered in scattered papers and pens. In between closest to the door was a loveseat couch, a few books that had apparently once been piled on the armrest now scattered on the cushions and floor.

"It's a little messy...w-we can clean it for you if that would be more comfortable," Blake added as the two fully entered the room.

"So who's the bookworm?" Yang asked, picking up one of the palm-sized fallen books on the couch.

She turned it over casually, skimming the cover. It was a copy of '_The four Maidens'_, an old but popular title in Vale. It wasn't any secret in her home, Yang did enjoy reading. Even her personal bed in the barracks had at least a couple of novels beside it. Her younger sister loved them too, and Yang found herself letting out a small sigh at the thought of her sibling. But her homesickness was cut short by something else. She frowned at the cover of the book for a moment before she felt Blake's arm fur brush up against her. She looked up at the cat who nervously slid back upon eye contact.

"My mom got me into reading. So both of us I guess," Blake said, "but would this be a better room for you? We can always bring in a dresser or chest to hold your stuff,"

Yang had almost forgotten she was looking for a place to sleep during her stay. Sliding the book into her pants pocket, she made it over to the small bed and carefully sat on the side, moving over a pillow that had almost fallen into her lap. Instantly she felt her body sink into the plush blankets. So much so that she nearly fell to the side and threw out an arm to steady herself. Unfortunately for her, Yang had instinctively used her injured arm and immediately retracted it with a sharp inhale. In a flash, Blake had made it to the bed, her ears flat with worry, and her forepaws extended halfway.

"Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling down to Yang's level.

"Aha, yeah. Just forgot is all," Yang laughed sheepishly, "I'm not sure this place is best either. It's so soft, I don't think I can get out of bed on my own. Not with this arm."

"I think...there's one more place you might like," Blake said, helping Yang to her feet.

She didn't wait for the blonde and started for the door, her tail twitching apprehensively. Yang followed her across the hall to a door painted a lilac purple. Darker purple painted flowers were scattered randomly over the wood. The two stood before it for a few long moments. Blake seemed pensive about this door, a few mixed emotions on her features as she stared at it. Yang reached out and lightly touched her arm.

"...Remnant to Blake? You there?" she asked.

Blake cleared her throat and stiffened up. "I-I'm not scared, promise. But umm… I'll clean the mess up," she said, stepping out of the way to let Yang in.

At first, Yang couldn't clearly see anything. The slightest opening in the closed dark shades only gave her a small glimpse into the room. All she could clearly see was the end of a bed and a trunk at the footboard. The room had a strange smell to it-like sawdust and dirt. Yang cautiously took a couple of steps in, looking around as best she could. Dark shadows of odd shapes filled her vision. And there wasn't nearly enough light for her to make everything out. She looked over her shoulder at Blake, who had tiptoed in a few feet after her. Like the night before, she seemed to stick close tot he threshold.

"I'm going to open the curtains," Yang announced, carefully making her way to the light.

She kicked something wooden more than twice on her way over and grumbled under her breath before finally arriving. She threw open the what felt like velvet drapes, allowing the full afternoon sun to shine in. After taking a moment to blink and adjust her eyes Yang turned around to find a disaster.

It was like a tornado had hit the room. What had once been dressers, bookshelves, and other sorts of furniture lay scattered in pieces. Whatever they held didn't survive the impact of whatever caused this. Fabric scraps and torn pages covered the barely visible rug. The wallpaper had been shredded from ceiling to floor, old scraps of it strewn about the wreckage. Traces of long-dead plants and their holders added to the mix and Yang realized she had been standing in a pile of dirt. The most intact piece was the bed in the center, the headboard against the wall. The covers had long gashes in them, the stuffing spilling out near the ends. One of the long bedposts had fallen, taking part of the translucent purple canopy that hung above the mattress with it to the floor. Yang raised her eyebrows and looked at Blake, who jumped when they made eye contact.

"_This_ is the place I might like?" Yang asked.

Blake's ears flattened as a nervous grin grew across her maw. "I promise it's more comfortable than it looks,"

Yang gave her a look before looking back around the room. She still didn't have a reason to doubt anything Blake said, despite the way the room was torn up. Her gut didn't give her any bad vibes either. Who knows, maybe it is super comfortable. Once again accepting the bizarre situation she was in, Yang made her way to the mattress, stepping over half a bedside desk in the process. She pushed on it with her good hand as a test before taking a seat. Blake didn't lie, so far she was more comfortable than she'd been.

"You were right, it is more comfortable than it looks," Yang said, bouncing herself slightly, "other than the...condition, feels just right enough to me."

"You're happy with it?" Blake asked, straightening up.

"Minus all the…" Yang gestured to the room as she spoke, "who went rampaging in here?"

Blake flinched but stood up straight, some wood splintering under one of her footpaws as she walked into the room. "I-I'll get it cleaned up right away."

"I'll lend a hand too," Yang said, scooting herself off the bed.

Blake put a paw on her shoulder, gently pushing her back into a seated position. "No no, don't worry. You don't have to lift a finger."

"I would like to help. It's no big deal," Yang said.

Blake let out the tiniest of whimpers, her tail twitched nervously behind her, knocking some debris around. "I...I'm gonna go get Sun to help." And without another word, she spun around, dropped to all fours and darted out the door, her tail smacking into the doorframe as she did so.

Yang was left in the room, listening to the rapid footfalls fade away as Blake ran through the house. More and more mysteries were stacking up. Yang frowned and dug into her pocket, pulling out the book she had grabbed before. It was more like a novella with its size. But it wasn't the size or the title that had snagged her attention. It was the author. An author she had known well from all the children's stories she had read to Ruby. One she had read from herself on nights she needed to wind down. She ran a finger lightly over the printed Kali Belladonna on the paper cover. Unless he had been wrong her whole life, this author was most definitely _human_.


	6. Blossom

**A/N: ****I'm so sorry about the long delay. Real life has gotten me super busy and unable to really take time to write much these days. I want to thank my wonderful partner for assistance and letting me bounce ideas off them. **

* * *

The light crunch of boots though a thin layer of snow and ice interrupted the sounds of wildlife in a quiet and peaceful Emerald Forest. A few small birds that had been resting in a nearby bush flew out in a panic as the one disturbing the peace ran past them. She had stopped for only a moment to detangle her red cloak from a prickly bush before continuing on her way through the woods. The girl rounded past a fallen tree and picked up speed along the path she was on. It wasn't long before her destination came into view—a wood-paneled house with a recent addition built on the right-hand side.

She practically kicked in the door with a loud bang, jumping over the threshold to land on the inside of the living room with the door swinging shut behind her. At the same time, the light tinkling of glass breaking came from the left side of the room.

"Ruby! Don't do that! You could have given me a heart attack!"

Ruby turned her head slightly to face who had scolded her: a white-haired, beautiful girl in a blue day dress currently scooping up the pieces of the cup that had shattered.

"I'm...sorry, Weiss," she apologized through pants, "I...I didn't have the...luxury to slow down. I had… to get back as...quickly as I...could!" After taking a moment to catch her bearings, she quickly unloaded the bundle of firewood in her arms by the fireplace.

As Weiss stood up, Ruby watched the slightly annoyed expression on her face fade to worry. Her own breathing finally steadied and her shoulders slumped forward. Weiss didn't have to say anything yet Ruby already knew the entire situation. Even so, she asked, "...Still no word?"

Weiss set the pieces of the cup down on the table she had been sitting at, dusting her hands on her dress before crossing the room to her fiance. "Menagerie is very far away. Perhaps any letters are still en route?"

Ruby nodded her head slowly, letting out a small sigh. She took half a step to match the one Weiss took, resting her forehead on the other girl's shoulder. Weiss brought her arms around her, giving her a light hug.

"I can't help but feel something bad has happened," Ruby whimpered, returning the embrace, "What if their Grimm are worse than ours? Or what if something poisonous attacked her?" She took a moment to steady her voice, "what if the monster she was after hurt her and…"

And then, something inside her changed. The anxiety and tears stopped as her realization fully sunk in. She pulled away from Weiss, standing up straight. "That's it. I gotta go make sure she's okay myself. How much is a boat ticket?"

Weiss frowned. "You're not crossing the world alone and unprepared."

"Then come with me! If two tickets are too much you can… I dunno, stuff me in your bag or something!"

The other girl was quiet for a long moment. Just long enough that Ruby began wondering if she was taking the suggestion seriously. As she waited, her mind wandered on how many snacks one would need for a trip in a bag. That train of thought ended when Weiss spoke up.

"What if we send someone to check on her?" When Ruby opened her mouth to say that's exactly why she wanted to go, Weiss quickly continued, "Not you or us. A Huntsman. I'm sure I can pull some strings with my father to send one of his best on a welfare check."

This time it was Ruby's turn to go quiet. She wasn't completely sold on the idea, no matter how much more sense it made. She raised an eyebrow. "And they'd come back sooner than mail? You're sure?"

Weiss smiled. "Positive. I'll even ask for the fastest Huntsman available."

It was enough to satisfy Ruby for now. She had no reason to distrust Weiss, after all. "Can we go get them now?"

The older girl gave her forehead a light kiss. "Of course we can."

* * *

Yang was uncomfortable. Right now, as Blake inspected the scars on her arm, Yang couldn't stop her leg from bouncing. Blake was being delicate as ever-none of her discomforts were from a physical source. No, she was suffering from the mental equivalent. At this moment, sitting on her borrowed bed, all of this feeling that made her antsy came from the anthro cat sitting down across from her. Every strand of fur, every inch of paw pad, every time the tip of a hidden claw brushed against her skin gave her goosebumps. It was like little electric jolts running up her nerves. She enjoyed the feel of Blake's handpaws in a new way she couldn't quite place. And thus was left to wade in her discomfort.

"Blake, for the last time, I'm fine," Yang sighed, trying to distract her thoughts, "there's no pain, no bad effects, and they're completely healed up. Can I have my arm back?"

Blake looked up at her, her ears falling back slightly as she did so. "I just want to be sure that it heals properly on a...on you,"

Yang had to suppress a shudder as Blake ran a thumb across the largest scar. "I'm no different than any other person," she said.

"R-right, of course," The cat took one final look at her arm before releasing it.

Yang stretched before examining her arm herself. The past few days had been good for her healing. Whatever was in that daily medicine application worked wonders. Her wounds hadn't opened since the third day and all pain was gone by the 5th. She ran her fingers over the jagged raised edges of each scar, her mind wandering back to that night. It was hard to believe it had been a full week.

"You know, there's still one thing you haven't shown me yet," Yang said, sitting up straighter. When Blake tilted her head, Yang continued, "that greenhouse where these miracle solves came from. I'd love to see it."

As expected, Blake's ears flattened and her tail swept around her body. "It's not interesting."

While her reasons varied, her body language was the same every time it was brought up. It wasn't just Blake either. All four beasts reacted similarly whenever Yang brought it up. It was painfully obvious that they were hiding something about it, and finding out what had them all so spooked was one of Yang's top priorities.

"Oh, I'm very interested. I don't think I've seen medicine heal up anything that fast that wasn't magic or enchanted," Yang replied.

Blake made a low noise in her throat and sat back a little more, fidgeting with her tail. If Yang didn't have a personal mission to complete, she would call this adorable. The words cute and adorable crossing her mind as descriptions of the large cat didn't bother her anymore. It was true and she wasn't going to fight it. She stored the thoughts of how Blake looked for now and leaned forward a bit, ready to press for more info.

Blake had luck on her side, for not a moment later, Sun had come scampering into the room. "Blake, finally! We gotta make a run out for stuff. You gotta go with this time."

"A run out?" Yang repeated.

"Yeah! Mrs. B is out of flour and spices. And Blake was telling me the other day about how we need more quick fertilizer for the plants. Is there anything special you want from town, Yang?"

Wait, town? Of course, they would need to get certain supplies somehow. Unless they grew food in that mysterious greenhouse she was apparently forbidden from, Yang hadn't seen any type of garden around or inside the mansion. Now she just had to see how three anthropomorphic sabercats all over eight feet tall managed to restock. They couldn't just intimidate the shopkeeps; none of their behavior suggested any kind of ferocity, despite the rumors she had heard.

But then, she hit a realization. Sun had said Blake had to go with _this time_. Meaning if all of them went out, she just might get the place to herself. And if she had the place to herself, not only could she finally try and get into the greenhouse, but also look into Kali's books. Finally, it would be an opportunity to get somewhere in her investigations without being blocked by being waited on and she didn't want to waste this golden opportunity.

"Well, if you insist, some strawberries? They're my sister's favorite and they kinda grew on me. I haven't had any in a while," Yang replied with a smile.

Sun gave her a salute. "Yes ma'am! I'll grab you only the finest!"

"Well," Yang started, standing up, "I'll see you off? It would be rude not to."

Right after, Blake stood as well, Sun quickly climbing up her tunic and onto her shoulder. "Come on, we're burning daylight. It'll be harder to get stuff once shops start closing up!"

Blake rolled her eyes but moved at a reasonable pace. Like always, she let Yang through the door first, shuffling her large body out after. As the two made their way to the front of the house, Yang found herself speed walking through the halls.

"So how long does this 'run out' usually take?" she asked, hoping her desire to be left alone wasn't showing through.

"A couple of hours. Maybe more if there's not a lot of carriages that day. Or if Sun has trouble," Blake answered.

"Hey, I've gotten great at being a stowaway," Sun bragged, puffing out his chest from his perch. Before Yang could process the exchange, Sun had spoken up again. "Blake likes strawberries too. Maybe you guys could maybe share a bowl! If we get enough. Or maybe some better clothes? Do you like purple? Blake LOVES purple."

"Can you not do that?" Blake asked, the fur on her neck rising slightly in agitation.

Even if she was mildly angry, Yang had been around her long enough to tell she didn't completely mean it. After all, the tips of her ears had the telltale red tinge that came about when she felt embarrassed.

"No, yours are comfortable enough. If you don't mind me wearing them," Yang said, lightly pulling at her collar.

Waiting at the bottom of the stairs were both Ghira and Kali. They held one large basket with straps and some folded purple cloth respectively. It was strange. One would think there'd be more for these beasts to do shopping. As Yang and Blake reached the bottom of the stairs, the two parent cats smiled apologetically at them.

"I'm sorry, Blake. I can't accompany you and Sun after all," Kali said, handing the fabric to Blake, "I didn't realize how far behind on laundry and clothing repairs we were."

Blake looked down at the fabric, her ears drooping. After a moment she looked up at Ghira. "...Dad?"

"I'm sorry Blake. Our guest's horse needs some more care. I need to keep up on her paces," he apologized, handing her the basket, "just grab the essentials; there's a list in the bottom. Don't overload yourself again,"

"Make sure Sun knows that," Blake grumbled.

Blake wasn't the only one disappointed by the news. The home alone chance Yang had hoped for was just dashed. With how often the three checked up on her, there wouldn't be much time, if any, to look into anything. Or certainly not enough to get any meaningful answers. She looked up at Blake, who had now been looking over a small sheet of paper in her paw. Small for her, at least. And suddenly, Yang felt a strong urge to go with her. At least she could still get one mystery solved that way. She pinned the urge on that for now, and think about her feelings later.

"Could I go with? I can help carry some stuff if needed," Yang said.

"Oh no, dear. We could never ask, you're our treasured guest!" Kali said quickly.

"You guys have been saying that this entire time, but I'd feel bad if I couldn't help out. Especially with how you all have been treating me," Yang added, "it'll be the least I can do to return the favors."

The beasts looked between each other for a moment, mild anxiety obvious across their features. Kali faced Yang again and bowed her head.

"It...would be helpful for another set of hands. Thank-" The beast froze, abruptly straightening up. "Err… we...appreciate your kindness. I'll go grab you something to carry supplies in,"

Kali was gone and back in no time at all with another smaller list and a medium-sized basket. As the five left the house, Blake strapped her basket to her side and straightened out her black tunic. She had since placed Yang's basket and the purple fabric in hers and latched the top closed to keep it secure. The early afternoon sun beat down on them from a nearly cloudless sky and Yang was already feeling the effects of what promised to be another dry, hot day.

"So...what's next?" Yang asked, wiping at her brow.

"We head out," Blake answered. Before Yang got a chance to ask how the beast had shifted to all fours and crouched down. She motioned with her head for Yang to approach. "I'll carry you. It'll be easier on everyone that way,"

Yang stiffened up slightly at the cat's words. Sure, she could get on horses with no issue. It was just a little hop up. But on Blake? Why was this simple motion she had done so many times before suddenly a daunting task?

"Ah...r-right," she mumbled.

Taking a quick breath to center her thoughts, Yang awkwardly got her legs up and over Blake's back. It was just like getting on her horse, except lower to the ground. And a feline-like beast. She wobbled a bit as Blake stood back up, grabbing at her scruff for stabilization. A moment later Sun scrambled up to join her, eventually settling on the nape of Blake's neck.

"Alright, we're burning daylight!" he said, giving Blake's head a quick pat, "hold on, Yang. She's really fast!"

Before Yang knew what was happening, Blake had taken off in a sprint, all four paws kicking up dirt and dead grass as she bounded away from the mansion. A faint "stay safe!" from Kali quickly faded away. Yang gripped the back of Blake's tunic tightly and leaned in closer to help keep herself balanced. Not quite a two-point position, but what else was there to do on a beast?

Blake kept to the main path, Yang took on her way up there for the most part. She stayed just off to the side, only running on the path when the brush became too thick. Soon the sparser plants merged into small copses. This is when Blake took a hard right, leaping into the shade. Yang would have been thrown off if she didn't hold as tight as she had. A few paces after landing, Blake slowed to a brisk walk. She zig-zagged through the palm trees, occasionally lifting her head up to sniff the air. It wasn't long before she came to a stop in a particularly larger expanse of plant life. A couple of hundred feet away sat one of the entrance gates to the small city, the wall extending into the line of trees where the three were located. Blake lowered herself to let Sun and Yang off before sitting up straight.

"Be careful, Sun," she said, untying the baskets from her waist, "we can't afford any more accidents."

"I already apologized for that," Sun pouted. He scampered up the closest tree and blocked the sun with one hand as he scanned the surroundings. "Hrrrmmmmm… eh, I'm just gonna jump it. It's faster that way. Be right back!"

"We'll be here,"

Sun gave her a salute before leaping between the treetops and vaulting over the wall out of sight. When the last of his tail disappeared with him, Yang whipped around to face Blake. The beast was currently detaching the baskets from her waist, setting them next to her.

"Wait hold on, where is he going?" Yang asked.

"This is when we wait for him to come back," Blake replied, unfurling the purple cloth in her paws. When Yang gave her a disbelieving look, her ears fell back and she avoided direct eye contact. "Sun isn't as detectable as the rest of us. So...he's in charge of gathering everything."

"How? He doesn't even have a bask-!"

A swift paw covered Yang's mouth and the rest of her sentence died muffled against it. Blake looked up and over her shoulder before lowering her face to Yangs.

"Please, you can't be too loud. We have to stay hidden," she said in a half-whisper.

One of her ears flicked back and her body tensed up. She looked over her shoulder again, both ears now swiveling to hone in on whatever sound. The next thing Yang knew, she had been pulled tight against the beast. Blake dove to the ground, hurriedly pulling the cloth over the both of them before settling absolutely still.

Yang was trapped. Under her upper back was Blake's arm, her large handpaw cradling the back of the blonde's head. When she tried to squirm free, she got a firm yet gentle squeeze, getting hugged closer in the process.

"Don't move. People," Blake hissed quietly.

The cat had lifted some fabric with her free hand and just enough light was let in for Yang to see the fearful panic on her face. She tilted her head back to try and see, but to no avail. She was however able to hear the familiar sound of hooves and wooden wheels clattering over dirt. Although, it was faint over the sound of Blake's heart pounding. She moved her head back to its original position and let out a long and somewhat shaky breath.

In all the time she was stuck with the Belladonnas, Yang wasn't sure she had ever been _this_ close to any of them. She could feel the toned muscle that was hidden under the soft fur. Every short and quiet breath was audible to her as the cat tried to stay as silent as possible. The blonde had noticed the lavender scent Blake seemed to have before, but it was almost intoxicating now. She suddenly became hyper attuned to every small movement made, and every single one sent small jolts of electricity coursing through her veins.

Soon she wasn't sure if she was hearing Blake's rapid heartbeat or her own. It was getting harder to breathe even though she had more than enough airflow. The initial urge to wriggle free was ebbing away. This actually wasn't so bad after all. She was...comfortable? Yeah, that was a perfect word. Yang closed her eyes, her breaths now slightly shaky. She found herself starting to reach up, as to embrace as much as she could of the beast. She wasn't sure why but it was something she had-no, _needed_-to do.

Unfortunately, she never got the chance. Just as her fingertips were just about to brush against fur and tunic, Blake shifted slowly, rising to a low crouch. She released a dazed Yang gently before sitting up fully. Whatever had intoxicated Yang had suddenly left, having her jolt upright from the ground. Her heart was still pounding in her ears and she placed a hand on her chest as if that would help slow the beating. She glanced up at Blake, who was paying more attention to the nearby road than anything else in the moment. The sight of the beast just made everything in her surge again, this time realization giving her a hard slap. Her heart pounding, the warmness in her face, how shaky she suddenly seemed to be...all of these things now happening to her were descriptions she had only ever read in books before. There was only one possible conclusion. She was falling in love.

Yang shook her head to clear it as soon as the word breached her mind. There was no way that could be it. She had to be mistaking it for something else, right? This was a beast. A huge, anthropomorphic sabercat. That was cute and kind and gentle and fun to be around… oh no. She refocused on Blake and was able to register the fabric she had brought was a hooded cloak. Even with her slightly crouched down with her tail twitching anxiously made Yang's heart do a small flip. She had fallen as hard as she had been tackled a few moments ago, and there wasn't going to be a way back. ...How was she going to explain this to her family?

The rustle of leaves above both their heads got their attention and Sun slid down the closest trunk, four limes tucked under his other arm. "Woo! That was kinda rough, but I did it!"

He tossed them to Blake, who caught them easily before setting them in one of the baskets. "Oh, you got the limes first?"

"Yeah, that one's always hard. It's like in the middle of everything, and there are so many people. All. The. time." Sun replied, "How many more did we need? I wanna make sure we have enough."

"I think, two- but we can deal with four?" Blake said, checking over the lists.

"Wait wait, hold on," Yang started. She reached over and grabbed him by the scruff, lifting him to her eye level. "You're okay with this?"

"We don't need that many limes? Unless you wanted some more?" Blake asked.

"No! I don't want limes," Yang said with a huff.

Sun let out a relieved sigh, "Oh good, I didn't want to take too many more trips to that stand."

"No, you-This isn't about the fruit. This is about you _stealing_ the fruit!"

A long and sudden silence fell over the three. The smile Sun had worn quickly melted into one of panic. His eyes darted between her and Blake as he stuttered. "Ah, w-well, I mean, it's not like anyone would sell to me. A-and have you seen Blake? She's terrifying to humans. We were gonna pay them back when we, uhh...could, so it's more like borrowing if you really think about it,"

Yang rolled her eyes, dropping him before standing up. She brushed off her pants and put her weight on one leg. "But what's got me more irritated is you're stealing when I'm right here."

Blake and Sun exchanged glances again. Yang could almost see the gears in their heads turning. She sighed and slowly shook her head. "I can easily get in and buy everything for you guys. I'm human." It clicked for the other two at the same time and she was grateful she had put her coin purse in her pocket that morning. Yang found her anger quickly ebbing away. It was just too cute. She walked over to Blake, picking up the empty basket and the lists. "I brought enough funds for over a months trip, I can get everything."

The beast nodded slowly, the tips of her ears burning that revealing shade of embarrassment. It was enough to completely soften Yang. She reached out and patted her on the head, taking new notice of the texture. The brief contact sent her heart rate back up, and she cleared her throat before taking a step back.

"Lemme come with!" Sun said, running up to her, "I know the marketplace like the back of my hand!"

"If anyone recognizes you as a thief, I'm ditching you," Yang said.

Sun leaped up onto her shoulder, burying his body in her hair. "Don't worry, I'm a great stowaway, remember?"

After a small goodbye to Blake, Yang stepped out onto the main road to head into the town. The gate was open, a tall male guard standing in the archway. He lazily waved a hand, letting a gazelle Faunus through to the outside. As Yang approached, he did the same for her. Getting in through this side was much easier than the other.

As she walked down the small hill and towards the marketplace, she closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh salty air. It was almost strange for her to be back among people. She didn't realize how much she missed it until now. Before any amount of homesickness could set in she took out the lists and read over them.

"Alright, direct me," she said quietly.

Sun poked his head out over her shoulder and raised a hand to block out the sun. "To your left, three stands in."

With his guidance, the shopping trip was a breeze. She was easily able to grab what was needed and pay appropriately. Some stands she left a little extra, trying in a way to make up for the lost inventory from the beasts shoplifting. As she loaded a small sack of strawberries into the bag, a fluttering object caught her eye. She looked up to see a lizard Faunus scrambling after the fallen end of a banner. It wasn't the only one. Yang had been so focused on getting the groceries she didn't take in any of the decorations around town.

"Hey Sun, what's all that for?" she asked.

"Oh, that's for the Falling Star festival," he replied, "about every five years, the sky gets covered in shooting stars. It always seems to bring better weather and make our crops grow better. So we made a celebration out of it." He tapped her shoulder quickly and grinned. "You should totally stay for it! There's music, dancing, fireworks, and just a fun ol' time! But we just go up on the roof and celebrate from a distance. Cause...well, you know by now."

Yang nodded slowly, looking back at the newly fixed banner. It truly sounded like a fun time. And she still had a bit longer left on this island. Even still, thoughts of her sister climbed to the forefront of her mind. She had to leave time for the return back. And her newfound feelings just put a new wrench in her plans. It's not like she could just up and leave Blake now. As she returned to the gate, she kept wracking her brain for a solution. Dammit, why did she have to fall in love with a beast?


End file.
